Final thoughts

Championship t-shirts and flags from their home countries. That's the perfect image to end our coverage of the San Antonio Spurs' NBA Finals clinching game. We'll have follow up coverage here at the Guardian as we put the NBA Finals and the NBA season in perspective. Thanks to everyone who has been following our Finals liveblogs, and our NBA coverage at the Guardian in general, especially everyone who contributed (couldn't get every single tweet and email in tonight, my apologies). It's been a privilege to use this space for my dumb jokes, Caps lock-heavy play-by-play and incredibly biased basketball thoughts. Thanks for putting up with me.

And we'll end with just one final email here that sums it all up.

From Sammy Lopez Metta Bexar:

From San Antone... Nobody can take away a damn thing from our amazing, genuine team. Especially not the NBA championship! CINCO

I can't add anything to that. Good night, or morning depending on where you are, from us at the Guardian. Ciao!

And he sounds absolutely bored up there, maybe he really could be Tim Duncan's replacement. As they point out he's the youngest Finals MVP since... Tim Duncan.

Updated at 5.31am BST

4.00am BST

Silver presents the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Spurs. Spurs owner Peter Holt takes to the microphone and he sounds exactly like the Crazy Texas Tycoon on "The Simpsons."

3.57am BST

Hey awards presentations! I'm gonna stick around here a bit, if you guys don't mind. Here comes Adam Silver, by far the most loved commissioner in US sports at the moment for laying down the law on Donald Sterling.

Me either, but I'll admit liking the parallel to the Green Bay Packers.

3.51am BST

San Antonio Spurs win the NBA Finals!

The Spurs get revenge on their heartbreaking loss to the Miami Heat in last year's NBA Finals. That's five championships for the San Antonio Spurs and nobody could say that the best team in the NBA didn't win.

3.50am BST

Heat 87-104 Spurs FINAL

Toney Douglas hits a three pointer to make it look... Okay nothing's going to make the Heat score look more respectable. SPURS WIN!

3.49am BST

Heat 84-104 Spurs, :42 remaining, 4th quarter

Haslem dunks, Jeffy Ayres dunks which is what I would do, if I could actually dunk, in garbage time in a Finals time.

3.47am BST

Heat 82-98 Spurs, 1:02 remaining, 4th quarter

Two Tony Parker free throws. In case you're wondering. Beasley makes a free throw. Aron Baynes is in the game, he makes two free throws.

3.45am BST

Heat 81-98 Spurs, 2:12 remaining, 4th quarter

I'm honestly already kind of sad and it's not even over quite yet.

Email from Jorge:

Holy madness! MILLS! SPLITTER!! MAAAAANNNNNUUUU!!!!!

Would it be crazy to assume the Spurs' bench could become their own NBA team? The San Antonio Popovers (get it? Pop's leftovers?)

They would have easily sneaked into the playoffs in this year's weak Eastern Conference. I mean they are killing the defending champs all series long.

If Popovich is actually their coach? Maybe. But the bench guys shine precisely because the Spurs have Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and now Leonard. It's, I know this sound like a canned quote, it's about the system more than the players.

Bench guy who isn't shining? That would be Miami's Mario Chalmers who makes one of two free throws. And Popovich is pulling out his starters so the hometown crowd can applaud them.

Basically yeah. I both love and hate summing up the NBA season. It's fun to do, but it means that basketball is over.

3.40am BST

Heat 80-98 Spurs, 2:12 remaining, 4th quarter

Kawhi Leonard fouls out, which at this point just means he has a chance to get to the locker room celebration first. A TV timeout here.

3.38am BST

Heat 80-98 Spurs, 2:44 remaining, 4th quarter

Marco Belinelli makes his return, Mills finds him for a basket. Ray Allen makes two free throws... Possibly the last points in his Hall of Fame career?

3.36am BST

Heat 79-96 Spurs, 4:13 remaining, 4th quarter

Tony Parker's box score will make it look like he had a better game than he actually did, he was MIA most of the game and now he's closing things out for San Antonio. He makes three straight twos while trading baskets with Bosh and Beasley.

3.33am BST

Heat 72-90 Spurs, 6:13 remaining, 4th quarter

Email from Michael Aston:

still, I think most are thrilled the Spurs will be the mercenaries of Miami...we all know, Miami ain't a ball town

Oh definitely, although Heat-hating as died down after their back-to-back championships they're still not liked by most.

Spurs timeout ends.

3.30am BST

Heat 72-90 Spurs, 6:37 remaining, 4th quarter

LeBron James looks exhausted and I am winded just trying to follow all of the scoring. Diaw makes a three-pointer. Wade responds with one of his own. LeBron James makes another basket, but it's sandwiched in-between Tony Parker two-pointers. I think that's it. Let me check one more time.

3.27am BST

Heat 67-83 Spurs, 8:26 remaining, 4th quarter

...'Bidémi (@Aboconcepts)

@hunterfelt Surprised the Heat made it this far with only 1 1/2 players.On the bench still, the spurs are better. No way out for James & co.

Yeah this. This feels so overish. LeBron James dunks, which is usually something but at this point it's just a mirage caused by the Heat. Tim Duncan hits a two. Tony Parker makes his second field goal of the game, a 20-foot jumper. Heat timeout.

3.20am BST

Heat 63-79 Spurs, 10:08 remaining, 4th quarter

Wade fouls Leonard to put him in on the line, that will end well. He makes both.

3.19am BST

Heat 63-77 Spurs, 10:14 remaining, 4th quarter

And another three-point chance, this from Mario Chalmers (yes, in the fourth quarter) he actually does complete it.

3.17am BST

Heat 60-77 Spurs, 10:56 remaining, 4th quarter

Heat start the quarter with a shot clock violation and a turnover. Sounds about right.

Michael Beasley now can say he's scored in the 2013 NBA Finals game, a LeBron James-assisted layup. Fouled on the play, he can't make the free throw.

Also sounds about right.

3.15am BST

Heat 58-77 Spurs, 12:00 remaining, 4th quarter

Could be last call. Last call for basketball.

3.13am BST

Email from Jorge:

Hi Hunter, enjoying your liveblog all the way from Panama. Hoping the Spurs win tonight. I want to hear Spurs fans mockingly chanting Seven Nation Army just for the sake of it, and hopefully that'll make Heat fans --all ten left after this year-- ruin another song for all mankind.

Thanks for reading. Yes, I didn't have time to mention it but yeah the mocking version of "Seven Nation Army" is the only acceptable one.

3.12am BST

David Lengel (@LengelDavid)

When something is wildly surprising and not at all surprising, all at once. @HunterFelt

LeBron James makes a three-pointer, which is good for Miami, but Tony Parker ends his game-long scoreless streak with a 17-foot basket. LeBron James gets on the line, and possibly slightly more significant draws an additional foul on Patty Mills. LeBron James makes his two free throws to end the third quarter.

Updated at 3.14am BST

3.09am BST

Heat 53-75 Spurs, 1:08 remaining, 3rd quarter

Yawn. Another Patty Mills triple. Duncan makes a two pointer and the Spurs' scoring is going like twice as fast as I'm able to type.

3.08am BST

Heat 53-70 Spurs, 1:59 remaining, 3rd quarter

A very mini-run by Miami. Chris Bosh gets a layup. Chalmers draws a foul on Kawhi Leonard and manages to hit two free throws. We're getting close to "too little, too late" here.

3.06am BST

Heat 49-70 Spurs, 2:38 remaining, 3rd quarter

Splitter fouls Chris Bosh who makes one of two free throws and the Heat can't afford to leave any points on the court. Mills this time throws it to Kawhi Leonard who only hits a 2 and not a 3. Slacker.

And Michael Beasley travels to give the ball back to the Spurs to the surprise of literally no organism on Earth.

3.03am BST

Heat 48-68 Spurs, 3:42 remaining, 3rd quarter

I'll give you three guesses if you guess what Patty Mills just did.

3.01am BST

Heat 48-65 Spurs, 4:09 remaining, 3rd quarter

LeBron James makes a jumper, Ginobili finally misses something here, and Michael Beasley actually does something, an assist to Mario Chalmers who makes a layup and the Spurs call a full timeout which is exactly what you should do if you let Mario Chalmers make a layup.

2.59am BST

Heat 44-65 Spurs, 5:01 remaining, 3rd quarter

Manu Ginobili makes another three, he seems like half Wade's age right now. The Miami Heat take a 20 second timeout. Oh god, Michael Beasley is out, this it he most desperate thing Erik Spoelstra has done in his entire coaching career. Michael Beasley. Jesus.

Oh man the Heat need something, anything. They get a Chris Bosh layup. That might be enough to...

HOLY HELL PATTY MILLS JUST HIT ANOTHER THREE-POINTER WHAT IS GOING ON?

2.55am BST

Heat 42-56 Spurs, 6:35 remaining, 3rd quarter

And I neglected to mention that Patty Mills makes a basket before the latest Miami Heat timeout.

2.53am BST

Michael Aston again:

at some point, the old team must get weary... hold on for a few minutes more... seriously tho', Hat are just worn out from success, happened to my team in LA... mind is willing etc...

That's fair age-wise, but honetly the Spurs have not looked like the older team at any point of this series. This is some "Cocoon" type weirdness here.

2.51am BST

Heat 42-54 Spurs, 6:50 remaining, 3rd quarter

Aaaaand Maybe Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard makes a layup and call the Buzzcocks because something's gone wrong again. Chris Andersen picks up his fifth foul, one that puts Tim Duncan on the line where he makes two free throws.

Updated at 5.26am BST

2.49am BST

Heat 42-50 Spurs, 7:52 remaining, 3rd quarter

Aram Mushegian (@arammush)

@HunterFelt@mowenz46@ablade thats how you know that hunter is a masshole pretender, no self respecting celtics fan would ever root for MIA

I like to think of it this way: I'm not rooting for Miami, my Checking Account is. Sportswriting sometimes feels like gambling in that way.

Lazy foul by Tim Duncan, the first thing that's gone Miami's way.

A Chris Bosh layup! Miami does the thing where that number next to their name goes up.

2.45am BST

Heat 40-50 Spurs, 8:14 remaining, 3rd quarter

The Miami Heat are playing so bad that Dwyane Wade didn't get a call in the NBA Finals. I think this is the first time in NBA history that has happened. In any case, Leonard makes one of two free throws after the San Antonio Spurs make "MVP" shouts.

Which, okay is a bit of a stretch, but if the Spurs lead holds up tonight he'll at least be the Finals MVP.

And the Heat take a timeout.

2.43am BST

Heat 40-49 Spurs, 8:18 remaining, 3rd quarter

We almost had scoring here, but Tim Duncan rejected a Dwyane Wade jumper. And then, perhaps just because he wants to see someone, anyone, score, Chris Andersen picks up his fourth foul on Manu Ginobili who goes to the line. He makes both! We have score-age.

2.39am BST

Heat 40-47 Spurs, 10:00 remaining, 3rd quarter

And maybe the Heat and the Spurs have forgot that the game's back on. Nothing but misses for the first minute or so.

2.38am BST

Heat 40-47 Spurs, 12:00 remaining, 3rd quarter

Oh right, there is actually basketball to talk about again. Lemme get back to that.

2.37am BST

Email from Michael Aston:

Kinda exhausted from all these finals..Kings, Spurs, world cup...sheesh... finish it tonight San Antonio, my marriage is in serious peril if this goes back to Miami...

Yeah, but then we have to wait until October until the MLB Playoffs. That's just far too long.

2.34am BST

Mat Cendana (@MatCendana)

NBA Game 5- rooting 4 Spurs 2 win game and title ovr Heat. But too cowardly 2 watch on TV. So am following @hunterfelt at Guardian's site

At least the Miami Heat are losing in a completely different way this game, unlike Games 3 and 4?

This probably should be a good time to mention for those who just came in that, as always when it comes to liveblogs, we want to hear from you. What do you think the Miami Heat need to do to come back? What pitfalls do the San Antonio Spurs need to avoid to hold on to this lead? Tweet @HunterFelt or email Hunter.Felt@theguardian.com and we'll incorporate them here.

2.22am BST

Halftime

The video for Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train" just came on and I swear to god they showed Tony Parker's picture in it.

2.19am BST

Heat 40-47 Spurs, end of the first half

ablade (@ablade)

@HunterFelt that wasn't a flop, gravity comes from a different direction in Australia.

There is no Patty Mills bashing in this liveblog. Hey man, sorry, but I don't make the rules.

Okay, so actually I make every single one of them. But still.

LeBron James makes one of two free throws, Ball Kinda Of Lies? Wade makes a jumper, they need more from him if they want their season to not end right now. Oh, and there's potential series MVP Boris Diaw with a layup. That's the last of the half and Miami really, really needs this halftime to figure things out.

Updated at 2.20am BST

2.14am BST

Heat 37-45 Spurs, 1:54 remaining, 2nd quarter

Ginobili makes another basket and after that, finally, LeBron makes his first field goal of the quarter with a basket. But Ginobili fires back with a long 2.

And, ugh, LeBron James intiates contact with Leonard but the refs call a foul on Kawhi Leonard. He's playing like superstar, but he's not going to get any superstar calls here. Spurs take a full time out, maybe just to cool down after that incident.

2.10am BST

Heat 35-40 Spurs, 2:50 remaining, 2nd quarter

...'Bidémi (@Aboconcepts)

@hunterfelt Y'all talking about greatness this is a 22 year old kid balling out right now in the NBA FINALS NOW THATS GREATNESS!!

Absolutely. Holy heck, 22 years old. I think I grew a wrinkle just reading that. Ginobili gets fouled by Norris Cole, he makes one of two free throws. Miami may want to think about scoring in the not-too-distant future.

Updated at 2.11am BST

2.08am BST

Heat 35-39 Spurs, 3:09 remaining, 2nd quarter

Dwyane Wade elbows Patty Mills because he's, I believe the clinical scientific term is punk-ass.

2.07am BST

Heat 35-39 Spurs, 3:32 remaining, 2nd quarter

Now the Miami Heat are the ones who can't make a shot. Ginobili takes advantage of this to hit a basket and it's a four point lead and the Heat take a 20 second timeout.

2.05am BST

Heat 35-37 Spurs, 4:47 remaining, 2nd quarter

KAWHI LEONARD MAKES A THREE! COLDBLOODED! THE SPURS HAVE A LEAD!

2.04am BST

Heat 35-34 Spurs, 4:54 remaining, 2nd quarter

Oh wow. The Heat are melting down a bit out of that timeout. Ray Allen gets whistled for an illegal screen to give the ball right back to San Antonio. Tim Duncan makes a layup, and is fouled in the process. Duncan has a chance to tie the game at the free throw line but he can't complete the three point play at the free throw line. One point game somehow.

2.00am BST

Heat 35-32 Spurs, 6:01 remaining, 2nd quarter

Belinelli makes up for that by makng a basket of his own and Duncan makes his second basket and that will be enough to get Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to take a timeout.

Oh hey there's a Spurs starter. Tim Duncan makes his first basket of the game.

1.53am BST

Heat 33-26 Spurs, 8:33 remaining, 2nd quarter

Kawhi Leonard has been the only Spurs starter who has made a field goal, and he's made four. I have absolutely no idea how this game is so close. Lordy.

1.51am BST

Heat 33-26 Spurs, 8:33 remaining, 2nd quarter

An uncharacteristic slow stretch in the game, well at least for this series, no one can make shots. Especially not San Antonio. Chris Bosh finally breaks through with a jumper and someone calls a timeout.

Oh, that would be commercials. Commercials called a timeout.

Updated at 5.19am BST

1.49am BST

Heat 31-26 Spurs, 10:15 remaining, 2nd quarter

Bosh finds Wade who hits a jumper of his own.

1.48am BST

Heat 29-26 Spurs, 11:08 remaining, 2nd quarter

There's no question right now who the best player on the Spurs is right now. Kawhi Leonard cuts the Heat lead down to three with a 20 foot jumper.

Updated at 5.19am BST

1.46am BST

Heat 29-24 Spurs, 11:48 remaining, 2nd quarter

17 points in the first quarter for LeBron James. That's good right? That sounds like its good. Boris Diaw connects with Kawhi Leonard to start the second quarter. Wow, this is only a four point game now.

1.44am BST

Heat 29-22 Spurs, end of the 1st quarter

Shane Battier, who is playing the heel role in tonight's game in San Antonio, fouls Kawhi Leonard who hits two free throws. That'll do it for the scoring in the first quarter; LeBron James tries a late three but nothing doing.

Hey, this might be a fun, close game. I could go for one of those.

1.41am BST

Heat 29-20 Spurs, :18 remaining, 1st quarter

Norris Cole is in the game, yeah we're not going to see much of Mario Chalmers are we? He gets fouled by Splitter and makes two more free throws. I have a feeling that the free throw differential might be the difference this game.

1.39am BST

Heat 27-20 Spurs, 1:43 remaining, 1st quarter

Ginobili fouls LeBron James who gets two free throws and, well, he's not going to miss many of those when he's as on as this. Tiago Splitter makes an appearance in the box score by making a basket to chip away at least a little.

1.37am BST

Heat 25-18 Spurs, 2:27 remaining, 1st quarter

And another three pointer from LeBron James. I hope he lays down a "You want to know my secret... I'm always angry" at tonight's postgame press conference if the Heat win.

This reminds me of the version of LeBron James that emerged in Game 6 of the Boston Celtics/Miami Heat series a few years back. He's like possessed.

Speaking of possessed, a three-point from Kawhi Leonard, he might need another big game tonight.

1.31am BST

Heat 22-12 Spurs, 4:27 remaining, 1st quarter

Manu Ginobili makes a layup, drawing a foul on Lewis, and completes the three point play with a make and then makes a three-pointer and here comes the Spurs run. This could be an epic one. Heat timeout.

1.29am BST

Heat 22-6 Spurs, 5:03 remaining, 1st quarter

LeBron blocks a would-be layup from My Australian Guy, Patty Mills. Tiago Splitter then gets fouled and makes only one of his two free throws. Lots and lots of misses from San Antonio. This is the exact opposite of the start of Game 3

Elena V (@amariselv)

A miss is a miss, but the Spurs are making high art of it. Missing so badly. @HunterFelt

Yeah this is Bobcats-esque. And now Ray Allen gets into the three-party for the Heat. Yikes.

1.25am BST

Heat 19-5 Spurs, 6:03 remaining, 1st quarter

Rashard Lewis makes a jumper from downtown and, oh wow the Heat are out-Spursing the Spurs. LeBron James makes a layup and gets fouled by Manu Ginobili for an old fashioned three-point play by making his free throw.

1.23am BST

Heat 13-5 Spurs, 6:54 remaining, 1st quarter

Chris Bosh makes a layup and then, close to halfway through the first quarter the Spurs finally get their first field goal of the game, a Kawhi Leonard three-pointer.

Chris Bosh fouls Tim Duncan, putting him on the line where he gets the Spurs on the scoreboard by making two free throws.

1.19am BST

A unique email request from Phil Morton:

Any suggestions for how to spend the time waiting for an Amtrak train that is now over 12 hours behind schedule? I will try to follow the nba final MBM, but there might be something more worthwhile to do in Denver.

Heat 0-0 Spurs, 12:00 remaining, 1st quarter

Best part of being back in San Antonio? NO "SEVEN NATION ARMY"!!! *dancing man emoticon*

1.02am BST

National Anthem Counter-Programming

As always, and I can't believe I've been doing this long enough to have traditions, when it may be the last basketball game of the series I make sure to post not the National Anthem but the National Basketball Anthem. All hail Kurtis Blow.

Sometimes it's a tad difficult to figure out what question to ask you all, but in must-win games like this it's pretty simple. Will there be a Game 6? I will be completely honest in saying I hope so because these liveblogs are fun and also I like money.

But I think this is over. The Spurs have been too good, they're at home where they play better (not that it's humanly possible to play better than they did in Game 3 & 4) and beyond LeBron their most reliable player might be the somehow not retired Rashard Lewis. What do you think, though? Email your predictions, final scores, etc to Hunter.Felt@theguardian.com or tweet them to @HunterFelt and we'll use them here.

12.29am BST

Preamble

Well that sure didn't go to plan did it? After tying the NBA Finals by winning Game 2 on the road, the Miami Heat were heading back home for the next two games. They theoretically had all the momentum in the series, if you're the type to believe that there is such a thing in sports, home court advantage and the best basketball player in the known universe playing like himself after the embarrassment of Game 1 (we're not calling it the Cramp Game here).

Instead the San Antonio Spurs completely demolished the Heat in their own building, winning Games 3 and 4 in blowout fashion. In Game 3, San Antonio put together and they might have been even better in Game 4, Down 3-1, the Miami Heat need a win tonight just to stay alive as the Spurs need just one more win to clinch their fifth championship, and the odds are not in Miami's favor. The last team to win a NBA Finals after falling behind 3-1 were...

Basically what I'm saying here is that there is fairly decent chance that this might be the last NBA Finals liveblog, meaning you may not get another chance to contribute. We'll use them throughout tonight's liveblog. Email them to Hunter.Felt@theguardian.com or tweet them to @HunterFelt. It's the Miami Heat vs the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. The opening tip-off is scheduled to be at 8:oopm EST/1:00am BST, but I'l be bombarding you with starting lineups, predictions and Kurtis Blow songs.